Volusia County, corrections union reach proposed deal

After months of tense negotiations and complaints about staffing shortages and safety, Volusia County corrections officers could see wage increases soon.

The Volusia County Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday, Feb. 20, on a proposed agreement between the county government and the International Union of Police Associations, AFL CIO. The agreement, which would be in effect through Sept. 30, 2026, covers corrections officers, senior corrections officers and sergeants.

Corrections officers have complained that staffing levels in the jail facilities in Volusia County are critically low and that their safety is at risk. A group of corrections officers appeared before the County Council in October to plead for safer conditions.

Meanwhile, corrections officers have been meeting with a county government team to hash out a new union contract.

Greg Cook, a business agent for the union, said he appreciates the county's efforts to work with the union on wages and other parts of the agreement. He said he fears that the pay boost won't fix the staffing shortage, though he hopes for a different outcome.

He said staffing shortages are a widespread issue in corrections and there is tough competition from other agencies.

"Everybody everywhere is hurting," he said.

Union President and Senior Corrections Officer Matt Harrison said staffing shortages haven't improved since the summer of 2023 and that the division is likely short of around 80 officers. But he said he's confident in the division's leadership.

"I think we're under a better direction though," Harrison said. "I think our new director seems like he's going to be helpful."

In the summer of 2023, union officials estimated the jail facilities were short about 70 officers. County officials estimated the staffing shortage was about half that.

He also said that the agreement will boost pay but he hopes that the county will do more to address pay compression. That's a situation when employees who have been in a job for a long time make less than new hires in the same position.

"There's definitely some glitches in it, but overall it was not a bad deal," Harrison said.

The agreement, among other things, provides pay increases across the board but gives an extra boost to officers with more experience.

Officers who have been on the job since at least Sept. 30, 2023, will see a pay increase of $1.75 an hour plus a bump up on the pay matrix. Senior corrections officers and corrections sergeants will get a $2 increase and a bump up on the pay matrix.

The agreement provides for pay increases in the following years, too.

For fiscal year 2024-25, union employees will get the same across-the-board percentage wage increase as non-union county employees. Officers who have worked two or more years in a bargaining unit position will also get a 3% "compression adjustment" in their base pay.

For fiscal year 2025-2026, union employees will get a 3% pay increase if the County Council adopts a millage rate that's not a rolled-back rate ― the rate needed to bring in the same property tax revenue as the previous fiscal year minus new construction. If the council adopts the rolled-back rate, the union employees will get the same increase as the general employees.

The agreement also provides increases in the starting pay for certified corrections officers who come to the county on Oct. 1 or later with one or more years of verified full-time experience.

Turnover is also a concern in the Corrections Division.

The agreement would offer existing certified corrections officers a $3,000 bonus, paid in installments, for staying with the Corrections Division for three years. Officers have until Sept. 30 to sign the agreement.

County officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia County jail officers could get pay boost, bonuses